James, the county’s former district attorney, said he hasn’t yet seen the evidence in Watson’s case.

“In this country, we have a criminal justice process, so let’s see how it plays out,” James said after the court hearing. “I cannot advise him which way to go until I review the evidence. We’ll let the process play out and see where it leads us.”

Watson is no longer an elected official after his unsuccessful campaign for DeKalb tax commissioner last year. Watson had represented about 350,000 residents in east DeKalb Commission District 7 since his election in 2008. He previously served in the Georgia House of Representatives.